EL SEGUNDO — Ilya Kovalchuk started the season on the Kings’ top line anchored by Anze Kopitar. He was on the fourth line with Michael Amadio and Nate Thompson for Sunday’s 5-2 victory over Edmonton after skating on the third line with Adrian Kempe and the now-injured Carl Hagelin the previous two games – losses to Vancouver and Colorado.

Kovalchuk has played on Jeff Carter’s second line, as well.

Let’s call it musical lines.

All the while, Kovalchuk’s production and time on ice have decreased. Although he is tied with defenseman Drew Doughty for the team lead in points (14), Kovalchuk hasn’t had a point over the last nine games, or since getting three during a 4-1 victory over the Ducks on Nov. 6.

Kovalchuk had a season-high 23:03 of time on ice Oct. 9 at Winnipeg, but he played a season-low 6:20 on Sunday.

On Monday, after practice, Kovalchuk and interim coach Willie Desjardins discussed the situation. First, Kovalchuk was queried as to why, in his mind, his time on ice has shrunk so drastically. As recently as Nov. 8 against Minnesota, he played 20:48. That was down to 13:23 against Vancouver and then he had less than half that Sunday.

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He took the team route.

“I don’t know,” said Kovalchuk, who signed a three-year, $18.75 million, free-agent contract with the Kings in June. “But the most important thing, we won last night. So that’s good, that’s positive. It doesn’t matter who plays how much minutes. It’s important to win, especially in our situation.”

Even with Sunday’s victory, the Kings (8-14-1, 17 points) have the worst record in the league.

Still, it’s alarming to see a player sign for all that money, only to see him remain on the bench during the entire third period Sunday. Not that he was sulking; he was cheering.

“I don’t know how to be on the bench, because that’s first time in my career I sit there for third period,” said Kovalchuk, of Russia. “But I’m that kind of guy. You know, I don’t care. We were winning and that’s all that matters.”

Kovalchuk said he has spoken with Desjardins about his plight, but he wanted to keep that conversation private. He was asked what it will take to get going again, to get his minutes back to where they were.

“Just work,” he said. “That’s it. That’s all what I can do. I can control just what I can do on ice. I try to work hard every day, get myself better, and we’ll see what’s going to happen.”

To Desjardins, finding the right line for Kovalchuk is part of the equation. He liked Kovalchuk with Kempe and Hagelin, but Hagelin is now week to week with a sprained MCL. Desjardins put rookies Matt Luff and Austin Wagner on Kempe’s third line Sunday because of matchups with Edmonton, and Desjardins liked what he saw there with all that speed.

Desjardins said he understands what Kovalchuk is going through, but that Kovalchuk has to find ways to be productive when he’s on the ice.

“He’s gotta score on his chances, he’s gotta create some offense,” said Desjardins, whose team begins a three-game trip Tuesday at Vancouver (11-13-2, 24 points). “When I call his name, he’s excited to go. It hasn’t happened yet that I’ve called him and he’s kind of like where he doesn’t care.

“That’s a good sign. But for a guy who has played so well in the NHL, that’s a tough role for him.”

Kovalchuk, 35, was a point-per-game player over 11 NHL seasons before playing in Russia for five as a prelude to returning to the league with the Kings.

Desjardins believes there are still points in him.

“If you look early, he put up quite a few points early; he was contributing,” Desjardins said. “My first game here, he had three points. So he’s a guy that can contribute.”

MORE DEFENSE?

Kovalchuk has a minus-13 rating. Does he need to play better defensively, as well?

“Yeah, probably,” Kovalchuk said. “At 35, I don’t think I can change much in my game. But for sure, to be minus-13, that’s not where I want to be. I would work hard to get those minuses back, for sure.”

Desjardins said when a forward is not scoring, a lack of defense is more noticeable.

“If you’re scoring, it’s never as much of an issue,” he said. “When he’s not scoring as much recently, then you have to contribute a little bit at the other end. And that’s something I don’t think he’s had to do a lot in his career.”

REMPAL RECALLED

The Kings on Monday recalled forward Sheldon Rempal from Ontario of the AHL. He played three games for the Kings in October, with no points and a minus-1 rating. He had eight goals and 11 assists at Ontario.